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LGBTQ fraternities, sororities expanding

When you ask Purdue University senior Brad Matthews if he ever thought he would join a fraternity before college, he laughs. "You hear all the stereotypes of animal house and all of that, and I'm not a big

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When you ask Purdue University senior Brad Matthews if he ever thought he would join a fraternity before he got to college, he laughs.

"You hear all the stereotypes of Animal House and all of that, and I'm not a big partier or into any of the stereotypical frat boy stuff," the 21-year-old Indiana native says. "I also hate wearing polos."

But today, Matthews is president of Purdue's chapter of Delta Lambda Phi. He is one of a growing number of LGBTQ college students joining fraternities and sororities specifically founded to cater to students of any sexual identity or preference.

Delta Lambda Phi was one of the earliest organizations of its kind, forming in 1987 in Washington, D.C. Today, the international fraternity boasts chapters at 30 schools and four new colonies. Matthews says each chapter typically has a minimum of 15 members.

Although Delta Lambda Phi was one of the first L.G.B.T.Q Greek organizations, describing itself as a "social fraternity for gay, bisexual and progressive men," the 21st century has seen an increased number of national Greek organizations with similar missions, and most are rapidly expanding to more college campuses.

At many schools, the organizations are integrated with traditional Greek life and recognized by inter-fraternity councils, Panhellenic councils and multicultural Greek councils.

There are at least five national sororities or fraternities that represent lesbian interests.

Gamma Rho Lambda, which formed in 2003 at Arizona State University, was one of the first. The organization now has sororities at six schools and multiple colonies forming at other campuses.

Ashley Carter, vice president of communications for the national sorority, says one of the biggest challenges for LGBTQ sororities is tackling stereotypes. Carter was a member of Gamma Rho Lambda at ASU, from which she graduated in 2013.

"At ASU, we were definitely known around campus as the 'lesbian sorority'," she says. "But we were so much more than that. Most of us don't even identify as lesbians."

Both Matthews and Carter describe their respective Greek organizations as families.

Matthews says the Purdue campus was generally tolerant, but Delta Lambda Phi offered a sense of camaraderie that extended beyond what he found in other LGBTQ interest student groups.

"I've found great friends that I can rely on for anything," he says. "As president, I almost feel like the father of a family."

Carter says being in Gamma Rho Lambda allowed her to learn from her friends.

"It taught me a lot about myself and other people in the queer community," she says.

Some of the challenges LGBTQ fraternities and sororities experience are similar to other Greek organizations.

At Purdue, Matthews says Delta Lambda Phi struggles to recruit because of its comparatively small size. Carter explained that her chapter's struggle to break away from its stereotype as strictly the "lesbian sorority" is similar to the problem all Greek organizations face.

"We do struggle with just showing that we're just not one type of anything," she says. "But I think that's something many student groups struggle with."

He says occasionally the group's fliers promoting events will be torn down. He says he also has experienced "chilly" responses when promoting an upcoming drag show event.

He says he visited other campus Greek organizations to promote the event and although sorority women were positive about the event, other Greek men became stand-offish when he told them he was there to promote his fraternity's annual drag show.

"Fraternities were definitely a little more chilly," he says.

Despite these challenges, Matthews says his experience in Delta Lambda Phi has been positive and although it is not the typical fraternity partying experience, he has found a brotherhood.